India in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
India's diplomacy in March 2026 centered on the Iran conflict and safe passage for its ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the UAE president and, on 21 March, Iran's president. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held several calls with his Iranian counterpart, and on 16 March India said it was in talks with Iran on six LPG tankers. On 13 March Iran agreed to provide safe passage for Indian ships, and on 26 March it named India among six 'friendly nations' with access. India offered condolences over the death of Ali Khamenei, and on 12 March co-sponsored a UN resolution condemning Iran's attacks on Gulf countries. Jaishankar said India is not a 'go-between country'.
A second thread was the Iranian warship affair. India allowed an Iranian naval ship to dock at Kochi on humanitarian grounds, around the time the US sank the IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka. Iran's foreign minister called the Dena a 'guest of India's Navy'; the Indian Navy denied helping the US target it. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, criticized the government's silence on the conflict and, later, its fuel shortages.
Relations with other powers moved on several fronts. A US official said Washington would not allow India to become a rival like China, and the US granted a 30-day waiver on buying Russian oil, which the BJP hailed and the opposition criticized. Modi and President Trump spoke on 24 March about keeping Hormuz open, and Russia's Lavrov said Modi will visit Russia this year. India named a new ambassador to Beijing, which China welcomed. India and Pakistan traded sharp remarks over Afghanistan, and Pakistan called on India to restore the Indus Waters Treaty.
At home, activist Sonam Wangchuk was released on 14 March after about 170 days of detention. The governing alliance won a majority of Rajya Sabha seats in ten states, 193 opposition MPs sought the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, and the Supreme Court approved passive euthanasia for the first time. State election alliances took shape in Tamil Nadu.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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